Make Buttons: Strange Ways to Make Money

Trawling Etsy.com this week, I cam across this shop. This person makes pin-on buttons and sells most of them for $1.00. For fifty cents more, you can have the button made into a magnet. Some of them are cute and the whole thing reminded me of the button covered jean-jackets and purses that were popular in the ’80’s.

All you need to get into this business is a ,a href=”http://www.amazon.com/Inch-Machine-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B004492BPA/ref=pd_sbs_t_6″>button maker. You can get machines that make different sized-buttons, ranging from small one-inch buttons to large, three-inch models. You just put your design between the plastic front and metal back parts of the button and t...

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You can also upload designs for sale at http://www.zazzle.com ; You do the designs and upload to their site, they do the rest – advertising, printing and mailing, you get anywhere from 10% + on each sale (you set the %).

Making buttons could be a great way to make money but you have forgotten a key part of the equation… you have to sell the buttons. Oftentimes marketing and selling a product takes more time than making it in the first place. Before you go making a bunch of buttons or investing in equipment or supplies make sure your going to have an outlet to sell them and an interested customer base.

Selling something for a dollar on line isn’t going to earn you any money by the time you take out your costs, the fees for the payment portal like Paypal, etc. Plus all the time involved. I’ve seen way too many people listing things for sale on line that when you break down everything, not only have they not made any money but they basically paid the buyer to take the item off their hands.

Before investing into any on-line selling endeavor, calculate ALL the costs and then ask yourself what your time is worth. Don’t try to talk yourself into saying this is just a hobby as an excuse not to be making any money. If you are earning anything at all you still have to pay taxes on the income or at least file the Schedule C.